Wichita eagle., 1887-05-24
NO PLACE FOR LITTLE WOMEN
Nobody VIII Employ Them, While Their
Big Sisters Have Fine Situations.

Nobody VIII Employ Them, While Their
Big Sisters Have Fine Situations.
Few have any idea Of the trials and
tribulations of cultivated women small n
stature, who seek honest employment In
this city. The little lady may be modest,
pretty, neatly dressed, affable in CONVEX
sation and agreeable in manner, yet a.
most every avenue leading to respect
able living is closed to her. The shop
keeper picks his female help in the spirit
that animates him when he makes dis
play Of goods in his windows. And it
must be confessed that practically, If not
theoretically, he is right. A commanding
and fine looking woman viii sell seal
skin cloak in five cases out Of six where q
little body would fail. The big woman
can expatiate more grandly on its merits,
and by wrapping it around her and parad-
ing before a mirror, show it of in all its
gold, but there is nothing impressive
about her. Her small stature Is mis-
fortune that she cannot remedy. She can
not become floor walker in dry goods
emporium, for she lacks the sweep and
carriage and the lordly aplomb which awe
employees and attract purchasers. She
has great trouble in securing even place
behind the counter. Her hagihty and
tiny size are in the way. She cannot
reach the goods on top shelf, nor can
she return them after sale Is made with
out climbing to the counter, which un-
graceful act would qusnch the last spark
of dignity left by nature at her birth.
She is out of place again in the parlors
of fashionable milliner or dressmaker.
You may find her sitting in little back
room adjoining, stitching away in bad
light and a worse atmosphere, with her
knees up to her chin, but you will never
see her in the salesrOon- "A small
woman is out of place in showroom,
said the proprietor Of a fashion warehouse,
when one of her friends sought situation
for a worthy but understood lady. 81
have no use for her there. She cannot
sell even pattern. People will not go to
her They will hardly ask her question.
They pass her by as though she was
child, and 90 to q saleswoman more sly
lish and commanding. One is prominent
and the other insignificant in appearance,
and the prominent figure invariably at
tracts attention.
A place for the little lady was found in
the mailing department at SO week. At
the same time tall woman of good figure,
who carried her head like Juno, neither
well educated nor particularly agreeable,
was placed in the show room at $14 per
week. She was not as refined or as pains
taking as the little one, but she had the
physique so highly priced by an expert
enced mOdiste. The little one tOiled ten
hours a day with hardly respite, while
the big woman walked grandly up and
down the parlor experimenting sales and
keeping everything trim.
Petite women are rarely employed as
forewomen in large business houses. Such
situations are almost invariably filled by
ladies of regular figure and hauteur. A
few are pretty, some are intellectual, and
less are charming. Many are Amazons
by nature as well as In appearance. They
are made majestic by size and bearing
alone, and are nearly destitute Of feeling
for those of smaller stature whose lines
are not cast in places so pleasant. Such
forewOmen command from 800 to $50 a
week They can be found in every estab-
lishment where fashionable female attire
is sold Salaries seem to be prOpOrtioned
to the size of the women employed, and
not on her ability. There are hundreds
of little women holding comparatively
pleasant situations, but even in these they
labor under natural disadvantages. The
salaries are light, and their figures forbid
promotion. The little ones are TO be
York Mail and Express.